DENVER – Paul Millsap wasn’t about to let Nikola Jokic’s foul trouble hinder the Denver Nuggets.
Millsap helped the Nuggets breeze past the Los Angeles Clippers 123-96 with a vintage performance that had his coach marveling at his youthful and infectious energy Sunday.
Jokic had 22 points and 16 rebounds, and Millsap had 21 points and 16 boards, doing much of his damage after Jokic took a seat two minutes into the second half with his fourth foul.
Millsap said he knew he had to step up, “not just scoring inside, but leading the team.”
He said that was easier for him to accomplish thanks to a break earlier this month when he missed three games with a sore right ankle. Since his return, he said, he’s in better shape and better rhythm.
“I feel great,” Millsap said. “Having that break was definitely beneficial.”
His refreshed body and mind has, in turn, injected Denver’s deep bench with even more energy.
“Paul found the fountain of youth or something,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone said. “He’s playing like a young Paul Millsap. He’s flying around. We chart everything, Paul Millsap by himself, he contested 18 shots tonight. Eighteen shots, 21 points, 16 rebounds and just impacting the game. His energy is infectious for all the other guys.
“And Nikola obviously, we expect that from him every night. It’s a good win.”
One that helped the Nuggets pull within a game of the Western Conference-leading Golden State Warriors.
At 41-18, the Nuggets are also three games ahead of the third-place Oklahoma City Thunder, who visit Denver on Tuesday night.
Lou Williams scored 24 and Danilo Gallinari had 19 for the Clippers, who couldn’t capitalize on Denver’s uncharacteristic 22 turnovers and 12 missed free throws because they were ice cold themselves.
The Clippers made just 3-of-24 3-pointers.
That wasn’t all that went wrong for the Clippers.
“I didn’t think we played very well,” L.A. coach Doc Rivers said. “I would love to say it was shots missed, I thought they were the tougher team, the more physical team. They got to most of the loose balls, they beat us down the floor. I thought it started on the defensive end, and then in the third quarter I thought it was our offense let us down.”
It wasn’t just Millsap who hurt the Clippers when Jokic went out, Rivers insisted.
“I think they all hurt us for the most part. They just kept going downhill all game. Millsap was great,” Rivers said. “We had a couple of good efforts overall, but I just didn’t like how we played.”
Clippers: Host Dallas Mavericks on Monday night.
Nuggets: Host Oklahoma City Thunder on Tuesday night.
